Over 300 members of the UK wine trade descended upon the Hospital Club in Covent Garden on Tuesday for the Wines of Germany ‘G-String’ trade tasting. With attendee numbers up over 40% on last year, the tasting invited visitors to sample the wonderful and eclectic wines Germany has to offer.

Launched in 2015, the music themed trade tasting has gone from strength to strength. This year’s ‘G-String’ tasting saw numbers up over 40% on the ‘G-Sharp’ tasting last year, which in turn, saw numbers up nearly 30% on the previous year’s inaugural ‘G-Major’ event.

Featuring over 160 German wines from some of Germany’s most outstanding producers, 18 grape varieties and 6 regions, the tasting included a seminar hosted by Anne Krebiehl MW and the VDP on Germany’s ‘other grapes,’ and a panel debate, hosted by Richard Siddle of The Buyer, on the latest trends in German wine. A ‘Jukebox Mix’ focus zone invited visitors to taste Sekt, Pinot Noir and aged Rieslings alongside a carefully tailored playlist. The tasting also offered the first opportunity for the trade to taste the ‘Top 50 German Wines 2017’ unveiled by the generic body last month.

Nicky Forrest, MD of Wines of Germany UK, “We are thrilled that so many members of the UK trade attended our tasting. The increase in visitor numbers shows us that the trade’s hunger for Germany is still growing. Interest in Germany beyond Riesling was hugely apparent through our oversubscribed ‘other’ grapes seminar and buzzing focus tastings. The tasting demonstrated Germany’s dynamism and diversification, especially from the young growers who are producing a whole range of modern, dry wine styles.”